Attachment for flexible-tube-making machines



C. J. JOHNSON ATTACHMENT FOR FLEXIBLE TUBE MAKING MACHINES Fil d Oct.26, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNEYS.

C. J. JOHNSON ATTACHMENT FOR FLEXIBLE TUBE MAKING MACHINES 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 26, 1923 E INVENTOR Marla: Mlnsonf,

v ATTORNEYS April 14, 1925. T 1,533,864

c. J. JOHNSON ATTACHMENT FOR FLEXIBLE TUBE MAKING MACHINES Filed Oct.26. 1923 3 Sheets-Shet 3 I INVENTQR v zmfis M47150 BY at) Z I ATTORNEYSPatented Apr. 14, 1925.

CHARLES J. JOHNSON, OF BLOQhEFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

ATTACHMENT :FLEZ ZIBLE-EUBE-IEAKIRG ZMILCHIN ES.

npplieatipn filed-Gotcha: 26, Striel No. $71,056,

Bloomfield, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvent-edeertain new zine useful Improvements in Attachments forFlexibleTube-Making lylachines; and I do hereby declarethe following tobe a full, clear, and exact description 'of the invention, such asvWill-enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andcharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates, generally, to improvements in machines formanufacturing -LllilOlOCl insulated electric cable, flexible-nietallictubing, and the like; and the invent-ion has reference,moreparticularly, to an auxiliary attachment or secondary forming means forreceiving the cable from the pri mary armor Winding and forming dies ofthe machine.

The invention has for its principalobjcct to provide a novel neansauxiliary tothe main Winding and forming dies oiarrnored electric cablemanufacturing machines, which is adapted to serve thetoltlowingpurposes, viz, to relieve from undue strains'and stresses boththe main donning diesandthe armor material passed ,therethrough; toassure a-uniforin movement of thecable rom the main forming dies so thatthe pitchot the convolutions thereof is maintained uni form and truegtoprevent inalfo-r n tion of the cable and to slightly squeeze the cableto free the joints intermediate the convolutions from tendency to bind,whereby any undue stiffness of the cable eliminated andthe same isrendered pronerlylimber ,or flexible.

@ther objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyenunieigatechwill be understood from the following detailed descriptionof the same.

With the various objects of thisinvention in view, the saline consists,primarily, in the novel auxiliary or secondary forniingineans foran'nored electric cable manufacturing machines hereinafter set torth;and the invention consists, lurtherniore, in the various combinationsand arrangements of the parts of said auxiliary or secondary formingmeans, as well as in the details of the constrnction thereoifl all ofwhich will be more {fully des I ibed-in the tolls ing .snecilication,and then finally embodied in i the claims which are appended hereto.

The inventien is elearlyillustrated in ,the a col pa y ng dr wi i WhidFigure l is a side elevation otthe novel a Xiliary or secondary formingineans for armored electric cable manufacturing his chin-e Fin- 1:0 is at n o r a rile-W the san eyl igure 3 is an ele ration of the cable mc'iriiisen a he seine 1 'll sii i is a ctransyer se vertical secton.ftbiioiigli thesaine, taken on line serg Figurefi.

Sin' ilar characters of nference are employed inall of the hercinabovedescribed views, tc indicate corresponding parts.

Since the .rnain liorniing dies hf the: cablen aking machine or themechanism iceding the material thereto ,are not parts ofthis invention,the general construction of the machine, including;v suchp arts, havenot been shoivn in the accompanying drawings, particularly for thereason, that there are several types of ,cablevlnalzing machines, withany of which my norel auxiliary or secondary for ning means may beused,as will be readily understood by those familiar with the art ofarmored electric cable manufacture and the machinesutilized in said art.

The in oyel .au xiii ar y or secondary forining means whichisthersubject of this invention and rvhich is shown in the accoinpanyingdrawings ,is mounted inuconnection withthe arn iored ca-ble n ahingmachine sons to be alined with and spaced from but to the disohargeend,of the main ifor ning dies of the machine, and sons to receive theformed cable as it issues from said main formingdies.

The novel auxiliary orsecondary forming means comprises a pair oflongitudinally spaced apart bearingstandards fl and 2, in whichis-journaled aflholl-ow or tubular shat-t through which the,cablepasses, after issuing from the main forming dies of thernachine. Asuitable means is provided for rotating said shaft 3 at ,thedesiredspeed. As shown in the drawings, this means may consistoi a pulley fixedon the shaft 3 ate point intermediatethe bearingstandards landfl, andover WlllCh runsa drive belt ,6 driven from ,a dj acent any suitablesource of power. It will be understood, however, that any other form ofmeans for rotating the shaft 3 may be employed, as may be foundconvenient or desirable. V

Secured to the forward face of the bearing standard 1, by means of bolts7 or other suitable fastening means, is a stationary hub or boss 8,through which the receiving end of the shaft 3 projects toward the mainforming dies of the machine. The free end of said hub or boss 8 isprovided about its circumference with gear teeth, so that the Sameconstitutes a stationary or non-rotatable gear member 9.

The end portion of said shaft 3, beyond said gear member 9, terminatesin a transverse T-head 10 having flat faces or seats 11 on its oppositesides. Secured to one face or'seat 11, by bolts 12, is one frameplate13, and, in like manner, secured to the opposite face or seat 11, bybolts 14, is another frame-plate 15. The free ends of said frame-plates13 and 15 extend longitudinally beyond the T-head 10. Said free ends ofsaid frame plates 13 and 15 are each cut away to provide one pair oflaterally opposed guide-ways 1'6 outwardly off-set to one side of theaxis of the shaft 3, and another pair of laterally opposed guide ways 17outwardly off-set to the opposite side of the axis of said shaft 3.Supported in the respective guide-ways 16 are opposedadjustable bearingblocks 18, and supported in the respective guideways 17 are similaropposed adjustable bearing blocks 19. The ends of the frame plates 13and 15 are provided with the respective end caps 20 and 21, for closingthe outer sides of said guideways 16 and 17. Said end caps 20 and 21arerespectively provided with end lugs 22 through which extend adjustingscrews 23, which respectively extend through the bodies of theframe-plates 13 and 15 so that their inner free ends may be brought tobear upon the bearing blocks 18 and 19 so as to adjust the same, and atthe same time said screws 23 retain the end caps 20 and 21 in properassembled relation to the frameplates 13 and 15.

Journaled in said bearing blocks 18 is a transverse spindle 24, one endof which projects beyond the outer side face of the frame-plate 15.Fixed'upon said spindle 24, intermediate the frame-plates 13 and 15, andso as to rotate in a vertical longitudinal plane, is one combined cablefeed and squeeze roller the same having a grooved periphery 26 toconform to the cross-sectional shape of the cable issued from the mainforming dies. Fixed upon said outwardly projecting end of said spindle24 is a worm-gear 27. Secured upon the face of said frame-plate 15, bymeans of bolts 23 or other suitable fastening means, is a bracketbearing 29 in which is journaled a longitudinal shaft 30. end of saidshaft 30 is a worm; 31 which meshes with and drives said worm-gear 27.Secured upon the inner end of said shaft 39 is a spur gear 32 whichmeshes with the above-described stationary r non-rotatable gear member9. In like manner, there is journaled in said bearing blocks 19 a transverse spindle 33, one end of which projects beyond the outer side faceof the frame plate 13. Fixed upon said spindle 33, intermediate theframe-plates 13 and 15, so as to rotate in a vertical longitudinal planeand in opposition to the combined cable feed and squeeze roller 25, is asecond combined cable feed and squeeze roller 34, the same also having agrooved periphery 35 to conform to the cross-sectional shape of thecable issued from the main forming dies. Fixed upon the outwardlyprojecting end of said spindle is a worm gear 36. Secured upon the faceof said frame-plate 13, by means of bolts 37 or other suitable fasteningmeans, is a braoxet bearing 38 in which is journaled a longitudinalshaft 39. Fixed upon the outer end of said shaft 39 is a worm 40 whichmeshes with and drives said worm-gear 36. Secured upon the inner end ofsaid shaft 39 is a spur gear 41 which also meshes with theabove-described stationary or non-rotatable gear member 9.

As will be understood from the above description of the construction andassembly of parts, the opposed combined cable feed and squeeze rollers25 and 34 are respectively offset relative to the axis of the opening orway 4 of the main shaft 3, so that as an armored cable is issued fromthe main forming dies of the machine to enter said opening or way 4,said cable will first pass between the said rollers 25 and 34 so as tobe embraced by the grooved peripheries thereof.

In operating the novel auxiliary or secondary forming means abovedescribed, the shaft 3 is rotated whereby the T-head 10 thereof is alsorotated to revolve the parts mounted thereon about the longitudinal axisof the shaft 3 and its opening or way 4. This revolution of the partscauses the respective spur gears and 41 to travel around the stationaryor non-rotatable gear member 9, to thereby rotate the same and in turnrotate the respective shafts 30 and 39 and worms 31 to 40, whereby thespindles 24 and 33 are rotated through the worm gears 27 and 36 whichmesh with said worms 31 and 40, thus rotating the combined cable feedand squeeze rollers 25 and 3 in the directionof the arrows showntherewith in Figure 3 of the drawings. Since the worm 31 meshes with oneside of said worm gear 27, and the worm 41 meshes with the opposite sideof said worm gear 36, it follows Fixed upon the outer.

ary gear-member supported in connection with a bearing of said mainshaft adj aoent to the inner end of the latter, the spindle of oneroller being adapted to project through one frame-plate and having aworm gear secured thereto, the spindle of the other roller being adaptedto project through the opposite frame-plate and also having a Worm gearsecured thereto, each frame plate having a bracket bearing, atransmission shaft j ournaled in each bracket bearing, one transmissionshaft having a Worm to mesh with said first mentioned Worm gear, theother transmission shaft having a Worm to mesh With the other Worm gear,and each transmission shaft having on its inner end a driving spur-gearto mesh with said stationary gear member so as to revolve about and soas to be rotated by the latter When said main shaft is turned;

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this 23rd day of October, 1923.

CHARLES J. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

GUSTAVE A. JOHNSON,

1 (moron D. lucrmnns.

